St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-09
The Scandinavians Want Stetson's Scalp
What One of Their Papers
Says of Him.
An Enthusiastic Mass Meeting Says the
Tracks Must Go Down and the
Bridges Up.
A Little Attention Demanded at the
Court House--Sudden Death
of a Fireman.
Property Owners Not Satisfied With
the Award of the State Park
commissioners.
SEEKING sTETsoN,s SCALP.
The >candinnvtaOs Up in Arms
Against Him--They Say He Hates

The ScandinavtaOs Up in Arms
Against Him.-They Say He Hates
Them.
The Scandinavian papers of the city,
without regard TO nationality or politics,
are after Chief Marshal Stetson, of the fire
department, with well loaded clubs. The
Folksbladet began the warfare and it has
now extended to others, which are filled
with dire threats. The claim is made that
Chief Stetson hates the Scandinavians, will
appoint none Of them in his department
and has cleaned out those he found EN-
plOyed when he took charge. 1t is said by
some of these papers that Aid. Haugan
fights the fire department appropriations,
but whether this is the reason for the senti-
ments which st etson is alleged to entertain,
or whether Haugans course is in retalia-
ton, the papers do not make clear. The
FolkSbadet. which originated the fight,
prints an article headed For SHAME" of
which the following is a free-hand trans
lation:
Not the fire department-not q single Scan
dinavian seems worthy or able to be en-
ployed in it-that is the shame. Chief Stetson
Is an 1rlShman. Catholic and Scandinavian
Halter. What few Scandinavians were in the
department he has dismissed, as we are in
formed. and not for incompetency, so there
is but one Scandinavian in the $50 in the
service. Recently Swede. without notice.
was discharged from the Franklin avenue
station. Cannot Scandin avians perform the
duties OF tiremen? Not long since at the Bos-
ton block fire three young ladies in the high
est story were in danger of their lives. Not
one of the fremen could or dared go to their
aid, but an outsider could not see those lives
sacrificed at least until he had done his ut
most to save them. With the courage that
was universally approved he reached the
roof and saved the lives, while the crowd
watched in hreathless suspense. Inquiry re-
vealed this man was Rud. former fireman
for twelve years at Christlana, the second
best in Europe. The papers extolled the
courageous deed and only one man will not
join in the praise-that is Chief Stetson who
Will not place him in the depart
ment. 1t is unfortunate that Ru
is Scandinavian. There are several
Swedes, Norwegians and Danes in the city,
with the experience and courage necessary
to tremen, but Stetson has no use for them.
He used to ask council for more money than
was necessary, and there was one alderman
with the courage and insight necessary to put
black stroke across some of these eXtrava-
CANT requests; this is Aid. Haugan, and he,
too, is unfortunately Scandinavian.
Another ground for Stetson to hate and DO =
colt the Scandinavians. Unfortunately. race
hating and boycotting make a two-edged
sword which cuts both wass. Can Stetson
do without the Scandinavians? So they can
do without him, and what is more, they can
emphutically make him understand this city
can well dispense with his S ervices. Other
Scandinavian papers should handle this SUBJ
1ect and make it felt that we are good Ameri-
can citizens and will take it as an insult to
our citizenship to be left out from public po-
sitions because we are ScandinavianS.